Under the sign of the sixties

The exposition is called “Portraits of the people of the sixties.” The 24 portraits of Ukrainian dissidents depict famous cultural figures and politicians, including Vasyl Stus, Ivan Kavaleridze, Viache­slav Chor­no­vil, Levko Lu­kia­nen­ko, Yev­hen Svers­tiuk, Ivan Dziuba, Mykhailo Horyn, Myroslav Po­po­vych, Mykola Horban, Yaro­slava Stetsko, Mykola Plaviuk, and Vasyl Symonenko. They witnes­sed those tempestuous events, in terms of social and artistic life, which are referred to in the voluminous Diaries by Les Taniuk (a famous director, public and political figure, head of the National Union of Theat­ri­cal Figures of Ukraine), dated April-June and July-September 1967. Each of these personalities is a living legend, they are part of an epoch which they themselves created. The stormy sixties were recalled by those who gathered in the Actor’s House. Already back then they dreamed about Ukraine’s inde­pen­den­ce, bringing it closer and, sometimes at the cost of their lives, fighting for the right to live and create in a free state.

The sight of a grey-headed Stepan Khmara standing next to his portrait, where he is still young and filled with strength and hope, was filled with symbolism.

“I always wanted our country to be worthy, deserving,” says Hmara, “Yet we do not have what our country and people deserve. The struggle for independence was difficult, we were weakened by the 70-year enslavement of Soviet Russia. At that time, they were consciously destroying Ukrai­nian intellectuals — cultural, scientific, educational. We constantly felt the pressure of the authorities [...] Recalling the early years of our independence, I can say that the deputies of the first convocation had a much higher level of morality and responsibility than the present ones. I don’t see the present deputies as having such a strong desire to protect national interests. Only the people can change this situation…”

Taniuk’s idea on publishing his personal diary notes uncut, with only the necessary commentaries, was supported by the Altepres publishing house, which organizes this large-scale project.

The two events, the presentation of Les Taniuk’s complete works and a photo exhibition of Leonid Levit’s work belonged to the same historical theme. It is important for our contemporaries to know what the Ukrainian community used to be like at the dawn of the fight for freedom. It is from the notes of the witnesses of those events, and with the vigilant look of their wise eyes, that we should follow Ukraine’s advance on the path from being a people to becoming a nation.